29 April 2014 — OurNHS
The new head of the NHS, Simon Stevens, appears before the Health Select Committee today. Here are fourteen questions OurNHS hopes MPs will ask him.
Month: April 2014
The only ‘parity’ for mental health is that it is being cut and privatised as well By Peter Beresford
29 April 2014 — OurNHS
Mental health services are amongst the hardest hit by cuts and privatisation. A new Charter suggests how people can build alliances and fight back.
Last chance to address the hospital closure clause By Philip Hunt
29 April 2014 — OurNHS
The hospital closure clause returns for its final stages in the Lords on 7 May. Lord Phil Hunt writes here about the safeguards he is trying to introduce by amendment.
Event: Prepare for Troublemakers
29 April 2014 — Bishopsgate Institute
For those of you in London and surrounds, this might be of interest to you:
What is worth the trouble?
Throughout history there have been those who sought to change the world and in doing so were labelled troublemakers. But are they always radical, extreme, revolutionary or even violent? Are they always anti-establishment or left-wing? Has social media changed the way people protest? Continue reading
War, Economic Catastrophe and Environmental Degradation. Under the Guise of Progress and Development By Colin Todhunter
27 April 2014 — Global Research
Indian finance minister P.Chidambaram once claimed that his government’s policies were pro growth and pro equity (1). He talked of alleviating poverty in India ‘in our lifetime’ by implementing the type of development policies currently being pursued. The minister envisages 85 percent of India’s population eventually living in well-planned cities with proper access to water, health, electricity, education, etc. Based on today’s population size, which is set to continue to rise, that would mean at least 600 million moving to cities. He stated that urbanisation constitutes ‘natural progress’.
Continue reading
ColdType, May 2014, Issue 85 Now on line
28 April 2014 — Coldtype
Inside This 84-page issue
COLDTYPE is packed with more great journalism this month with articles by Andrew S. Fischer on the Death of the Middle Class; while Neal Clark tells us why he’s so confused; Conn Hanninen on the forthcoming break-up of Europe; Forbes Howie looks at the Mating Rituals of Giant Pandas; Michael I. Niman predicts a new Cold War; Andy Piascik applauds America’s new heroes; Felicity Arbuthnotexamines the West’s strange idea of freedom; while John Pilger writes about the extension of apartheid in South Africa. In addition we’ve got a 10-pages of photographs by Martin Jenkinson from the British Miners’ Strike and a new 16-page Books section with features by Chris Hedges, Tony Sutton, David Swanson and Danny Schechter
Media Lens: ‘Hard Clay’ – Remaking Afghanistan In ‘Our’ Image By David Edwards
28 April 2014 — Media Lens
Last month, we reviewed the mind-boggling contrast between corporate media coverage of the January 2005 election in Iraq and the March 2014 referendum in Crimea.
Whereas all media accepted the basic legitimacy of an Iraq election conducted under extremely violent US-UK military occupation, they all rejected the legitimacy of a Crimea referendum conducted ‘at [Russian] gunpoint’.
VTJP Occupied Palestine and Israel: News and Articles 27 April 2014
27 April 2014 — VTJP
News
International Middle East Media Center
19 WB Consruction Projects Halted by Israeli Sanctions
IMEMC – The Israeli government made clear, Sunday, its decision to freeze construction on 19 Palestinian projects in the West Bank, according to Israeli and Palestinian news sources. …
Continue reading
Reflections on Ukraine and Regime Change By Michael Parenti
27 April 2014 — Voltaire Network
The current tug of war between Washington and Moscow has made us lose sight of the circumstances surrounding the regime change in Kiev and the consequences thereof. Beyond the invectives slung from each side of the US/Russian divide, the fact remains that the new Ukrainian government came into power as the result of a coup orchestrated by the United States. Even if today a part of the Ukrainian population appears to be satisfied, it will inevitably get caught in the trap and eventually open its eyes.
Forty Years Later, From Dictatorship to Neoliberalism. Portugal as a Model for a New Socialism? By Leila Dregger
26 April 2014 — Global Research
A vision becomes tangible. Here at the edge of Europe, models for a new socialism arise, for the lived experience of justice and freedom; for the healing of nature and for regional self-sufficiency.
Continue reading
Agents of Destabilization in Venezuela: The Dirty Hand of the National Endowment for Democracy By Eva Golinger
27 April 2014 — Global Research
Anti-government protests in Venezuela that seek regime change have been led by several individuals and organizations with close ties to the US government. Leopoldo Lopez and Maria Corina Machado- two of the public leaders behind the violent protests that started in February – have long histories as collaborators, grantees and agents of Washington. The National Endowment for Democracy “NED” and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have channeled multi-million dollar funding to Lopez’s political parties Primero Justicia and Voluntad Popular, and Machado’s NGO Sumate and her electoral campaigns.
Unelected Regime Begins Killing Spree in Eastern Ukraine By Tony Cartalucci
25 April 2014— New Eastern Outlook
Deadly clashed broke out as the unelected regime occupying Kiev attempted to restart what it is calling “anti-terror” operations in eastern Ukraine where anti-fascist protesters have begun rising up. Several have been killed during clashes in the eastern Ukrainian town of Slavyansk where Kiev has set armored vehicles and helicopter gunships upon its own population.
Will NBC Retract Story NYT Has Walked Back? By Peter Hart
26 April 2014 — FAIR Blog
New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan‘s critique (4/24/14) of her paper’s handling of their Russia/Ukraine photo scoop closed with this:
The Times‘ influence demands that it be cautious, especially when deciding to publish what amounts to a government handout.
The thing about the news business is that what appears in the New York Times reappears lots of other places. The Times piece, “Photos Link Masked Men in East Ukraine to Russia,” was posted on Sunday night (4/20/14) and appeared on the paper’s front page the next day. So it was no surprise that it would wind up on one on the network newscasts. The NBC Nightly News, to be precise.
If Not Now, When? By Andre Vltchek
26 April 2014 — Counterpunch
Hopelessness, fear and defeatism – this is how the Empire wants you to feel.
New York Times attempts to whitewash its role in publishing faked Ukraine photos By Alex Lantier
26 April 2014 — WSWS
Yesterday, amid rising anger among New York Times readers over the newspaper’s publication of faked US State Department photos, the Times issued a whitewash of its role by its public editor, Margaret Sullivan, titled “Aftermath of Ukraine Photo Story Shows Need for More Caution.”
Kerry’s statement on Ukraine: A lying brief for war By Alex Lantier
26 April 2014 — WSWS
On Thursday, US Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a lying brief for war aimed at justifying the crackdown by the Western-backed Kiev regime on pro-Russian protests in eastern Ukraine and possible military action against Russia. Declaring confrontation with Russia to be all but inevitable, he turned reality on its head, blaming the crisis entirely on Russia and clearing Kiev of all responsibility.
Overthrowing Fascism: Portugal and “The Right to Rebellion” By Miguel Urbano Rodrigues
25 April 2014 — Global Research – Tlaxcala
Forty years have passed since April 25, 1974.
Forty years have passed since April 25, 1974. Today throughout the country the Portuguese people will celebrate the anniversary of the overthrow of fascism.
The goal of the military coup that morning was to end the colonial war. But within a few hours the torrential participation of the people changed the direction and purpose of the movement. That the masses took to the streets pushed the captains of April to make a revolution in which the alliance between the people and the Armed Forces Movement played a decisive role.
New at Strategic Culture Foundation 19-26 April 2014: Ukraine-Nukes / Korea / Global Economy / Russia-China / CIA / Yugoslavia
26 April 2014 — Strategic Culture Foundation
US to Turn Ukraine into Second Chernobyl
26.04.2014 | 13:00 | Leonid SAVIN
The date of April 26, 2014 marks the 28th anniversary of the catastrophic explosion of the 4th reactor at the Chernobyl power plant. This is the time when alarming news is coming to evoke concern over the future of Ukraine’s nuclear industry.
The use of US-produced fuel for Soviet reactors is not compatible with their design and violates the security requirements. It could lead to disasters comparable with what happened in Chernobyl. The International Union of Veterans of Nuclear Energy and Industry (IUVNEI) issued the following statement on April 25, “Nuclear fuel produced by the US firm Westinghouse does not meet the technical requirements of Soviet-era reactors, and using it could cause an accident on the scale of the Chernobyl disaster, which took place on the 26th April 1986.” Continue reading
UK: Call the Midwife – while we still have one
25 April 2014 — OurNHS
Four out of five hopsitals are short of midwives, a new investigation has found. Funding cuts mean the situation is “getting worse, not better”, according to midwife leaders.
Will Labour defend the NHS from the EU/US trade deal? By Linda Kaucher
23 April 2014 — OurNHS
Andy Burnham and John Healey’s statments on the risks to the NHS of the trade deal between the EU and the US seem at odds. Labour should be speaking clearly for the NHS.
The New Dark Age 